I don’t know what you would call it, but I am going to post one of my favorite writings. It compares nature and fishing to following your dreams. I hope you like it.
Fishing For The Future
I’m out today in the late morning sun where the heat surrounds me. Here, the blanket of green and brown patches goes into a blue pool full of different kinds of fish. There is nothing on the land but my rod and I. The water shimmers in the sunlight. No clouds appear in the light. I sit in my chair, waiting and waiting for a bite. The trees stand in tranquility and there is no breeze. It’s very hot and humid. The warmth makes the valley sizzle.
Suddenly, the breeze picks up. Something gets hooked on my line. I reel it in to find out it was a young sunfish. I look at it, and then put him back. I watch him as he swims into the water’s depth. A soul like his has yet to see many more moons and should see them all. He shouldn’t worry about my rod; it’s just another problem for him. He should swim away from it just like I swim away from mine. He’ll get caught one day and eaten or maybe not. The questions of the future remain unanswered. Just as I let him go, the refreshing breeze dies down.
Minutes pass into the hours of the early dusk. No fish bite. They all are going about their merry ways. Reminds me of how I set goals for my future. Suddenly, I see a big grizzly bear. He wades down into the rushing waters of the river as if he is waiting for something. Then, right before my eyes, he grabs a salmon. As he grabs his food, the old wind picks up. It lingers in the air while the bear remains at the riverbank for a second and then just as the bear disappears from sight, it dies down.
I reel in my line. Nothing. No fish on it. I cast it back out to try for some bass or trout. I look up at the yellow ball of fire. Goodness gracious! It’s sinking into the west! It’s getting late now. The sky burns up in a fireball; beautiful sight. But I still wait for a bite. A crescent moon appears in the night. It is a beauteous site up yonder. The stars twinkle as well. The light from the moon reflects upon the water. I can see my line floating in the cold all by itself in the moonlight.
A sudden summer breeze comes; I watch the ripples upon the water shimmering in the night; my rod in my hand. How peaceful they are! I start staring so hard that my eyes start to close. Everything becomes blurry for a second and then pitch black before me like I became blind. Before I know it, I feel my rod pulling me. I reel it in and there is a bass hooked onto my line. He’s the biggest bass I’ve ever seen! It took some pulling and reeling to get him in, but I eventually got him in.
I bring him onto the land, onto a rolling hill. A strong wind picks up and blows for awhile. As soon as it dies down, I grab my lantern and head off into the dark, searching for stones and sticks. I gather some for a fire and then I get my frying pan along with my blue fleece sweatshirt. That chilly wind stopped, but coldness still lingers in the air. I make myself a campfire and pull up a log. I put the bass in the pan so that it can cook.
Time passes. A full moon shines brightly. The bass finally finishes cooking. I take it out of the pan. I get my fork and plate and I start tearing into my dinner. How tender the meat is! It’s very good. The cold, old wind picks up. The fish’s journey may have ended, but my wind still blows.